Moments After
by enigma731
Summary: Six Season Four drabbles written by request. Kutner/Thirteen, House/Cameron, Chase/CTB, Foreman/CTB, Chase/Cameron.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Since I got so many requests for newbiefic, these are all set in Season Four. However, they are not all set in the _same_ Season Four, unless you want to believe that everyone has multiple personalities. Each one is its own interpretation of canon-compatible 'verse. These are rated individually and posted in the order they were requested. Also, there are multiple pairings since I let people request whatever they wanted. I'm posting all six at once since they're not really long enough to stand alone.

* * *

Pairing: Kutner and thirteen

Rating: T

"Why are _you_ here?" It's not rude, really, though the words themselves aren't polite. The question is what she's come to recognize as a typical Kutner-blurt in which his mouth gets ahead of any theoretical sense of tact (nobody can say for sure whether he actually has one), and something bordering on indecent comes out.

Thirteen opts not to comment on the nature of his greeting. It is the middle of the night, after all. "House just hired me. He said to come in right away, but I probably should have guessed that we don't really have a case."

She starts to say something else, but then her eyes focus on what he's doing. He has a bottle of Elmer's glue, probably stolen from one of the playrooms on the pediatrics ward, and is systematically spreading it over the back of a slice of congealed-looking pizza.

Thirteen raises her eyebrows. "And the purpose of that is…?"

Kutner shrugs. "Bored. Also, House can't fire me now."

Sitting at the table, Thirteen tugs gently at one of the other slices still in the box, and finds it stubbornly tacked in place. Kutner gives her a thumbs-up followed by a goofy grin. It's like something out of a sitcom, or possibly a cartoon, sitting here in the dead of night, pulling a prank on their boss. The laugh that bubbles up in her throat is mostly cynicism and incredulity, but she thinks maybe there is a little bit of anticipation there as well.


	2. Chapter 2

Characters/Pairing: House/Cameron

Rating: PG

"You're in my chair. _Again_." House looks combative, but not entirely displeased. "What is it, some kind of domination thing? Put your mark on my territory?" 

Cameron shrugs. "Turnabout is fair play. You keep invading my ER."

House cocks his head at her, and the familiarity of that look makes her ache. "You're awfully possessive after…what, three months? You know what Freud would say about that. You obviously want your job back. You can't get over me."

He's clearly mocking now and Cameron narrows her eyes. "I'm pretty sure Freud never said anything about office politics." She crosses her arms over her chest and leans back in the chair so it creaks just a little. "I came to tell you who I think you should hire."

"Ah. I knew you couldn't resist."

Cameron bristles, because the accusation is just a little bit too true, but she tells herself she's doing this for the patients his new team will be treating. "Amber and Taub," she says after a moment.

House pauses. "Interesting. You consult your boyfriend on this decision?"

There's a flutter of anxiety raised by the word _boyfriend_, but she pushes it away. It's right, she tells herself, and nothing to be upset by. But she and Chase have been together, trapped in the promise of what might have been once, for nearly six months now. Every day ticks closer to the invisible line which, once crossed, will make this relationship longer than her marriage. And she still isn't sure what she wants.

"No," says Cameron, a little too fervently. "They'll balance each other out. Be good together."

"Interesting," says House again, and he turns to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Characters/Pairing: Foreman and Amber

Rating: PG

"You _stole_ our personnel files?"

It's well past midnight, and they don't have a case, but somehow Foreman is still here. Amber shrugs and doesn't look up from the papers spread in front of her across the small cafeteria table. Foreman's only been rehired a few days, but it's already obvious that he doesn't have the power to pose any real threat to her.

"Is there a problem with that?" she asks when he doesn't go away. She runs her finger along a line detailing Dr. Cameron's first resignation and uses her other hand to jot notes in a small black pad.

"They're confidential!" Foreman splutters. He snatches a few free pages and fans them in one hand, eyes skimming quickly over them.

"Must have missed that part," Amber says easily and turns to the next page. House is obviously not above prying into their personal lives; it only makes sense that she ought to be allowed to use the people close to him to win this game.

"Right," says Foreman sarcastically. He shakes his head and drops the pages he's been holding onto the surface of the table. The wind from their descent scatters their companions onto the floor, and Amber glares.

"I would think," she says, changing tack, "that you of all people would want to see somebody put one over on House. All I'm doing is a little friendly reconnaissance."

Foreman sighs, but she can already tell he's going to give in. He gives her another look and crosses his arms. "Fine. But just be warned, you're not going to win against House."


	4. Chapter 4

Characters/Pairing: Chase and Amber

Rating: PG13

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Chase whirls, instantly uncomfortable. He hasn't heard anyone come into the room and he's suddenly very aware of the fact that he's standing shirtless in front of his locker. Particularly when he recognizes Amber, planted in front of him like a blonde high-heeled monolith here to dictate the law.

"What?" He pulls his shirt over his head as quickly as he can; it ends up backwards, but he decides not to do anything about that until later. "Why?"

She shrugs, and Chase notices that she looks a little less immaculate than usual, hair slightly wind-blown, clothes just a little rumpled. He wonders whether she's been drinking already.

"I thought maybe we could form a Fired by House club, or something. Celebrate retroactively for you." She tries to make a joke of it, but it lacks her usual snap, and Chase realizes suddenly what is wrong.

"No," he says, too quickly and out of habit. Then, "House fired you?"

Amber narrows her eyes and tips her head, dismissing his question as stupidly obvious. "Your girlfriend would say yes. Maybe I'll go ask her."

Chase finds himself gaping again, unable to find the air to speak, and watching yet another receding back as she leaves the room.

"Wait." He slams the locker door and propels himself into motion after her.


	5. Chapter 5

Characters/Pairing: Chase/Cameron

Rating: R

"Bastard," Chase manages through clenched teeth. There's something dark in his eyes tonight, something uncharacteristically powerful, and Cameron catches her breath as she tugs his shirt unceremoniously over his head.

"Thought you weren't angry at House," she murmurs. Her clothes are already in a pile on the living room floor; they've only been home minutes and she knows they won't make it to the bedroom. His hands come up to cup her breasts and Cameron kisses him roughly.

"Not for firing me." Chase groans as she shoves his scrub pants down his hips and wraps one hand around his cock, already hard under her fingers. "For making me do that surgery, hell yeah."

"Are you angry at House or Taub?" His hands are on her hips now, almost supporting himself against her as she works her fingers down his shaft.

"House," says Chase. He pulls roughly from her grasp and turns her so she's bent over her kitchen table.

Cameron bites her lip as he enters her from behind, and they don't talk anymore. Strange, she thinks, that House should be so omnipresent even now. She doesn't envy his new fellows, or at least that's what she tells herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Characters/Pairig: Chase/Cameron

Rating: PG13

It's dark, and the laundry isn't folded, and Cameron is tempted to simply wear scrubs to work today and not bother to change. She pulls a sweater vest over her head and is halfway to the mirror before she realizes it isn't hers. Chase isn't much taller than she is, but the fabric hangs several inches down her hips anyway, tunic-like. Cameron stands staring at herself for a moment, then grabs her hairbrush, deciding not to change for the moment. She isn't sure what to think this means.

She's still standing there when Chase emerges from the bathroom, one of her green fluffy towels wrapped around his hips. He freezes at the sight of her, amusement and something else warring on his face, and she wonders whether she's done the wrong thing in leaving the vest on.

"Cute," he says after a very long moment. He comes up behind her and kisses the back of her neck, hands winding around her waist. "You gonna wear that to work today?"

Cameron turns in his grasp, putting her hands on his bare shoulders. His hair is wet, and she reaches up to catch a few drops of water making their way down his neck. There's a flicker of silent possessiveness in his eyes, and she thinks five months ago this would have been her cue to run. But she doesn't want to now. The side of his mouth quirks up as she meets his gaze, and a thrill of excitement goes through her.

"If you want me to," she answers, leaning up to kiss him.


End file.
